


The Tale of Ty Lee and Azula

by orphan_account



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Short Story, tyzula - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-22
Updated: 2017-08-02
Packaged: 2018-12-02 01:51:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11499258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: On one fateful day in Ba Sing Se, Ty Lee somehow convinced Azula to stop plotting the city's demise just for a little bit to go out and have fun.Ty Lee and Azula's story in Ba Sing Se, just like the stories the other charecters got in The Tales of Ba Sing Se.





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is was just supposed to be a short oneshot but it was getting a little longer than anticipated so i'll be doing it in 2 parts!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy part 1 of the Tale of Ty Lee and Azula

 Azula grabbed the pile of scrolls out of the basket and made her way to her desk. She'd ordered Li and Lo to send the basket to her chambers in the earth kingdom's palace, and had given Mai and Ty Lee the day off. She was looking forward to a day of quiet to study the scrolls about all things Kyoshi, so she could dominate the world with one of her impeccably strategic plans later.

She was just sitting down when a high pitched voice startled her, making her drop a few scrolls on her feet.

"Goodmorning!" The voice cried. Azula picked up the scrolls and turned around.

"Ty Lee!" she said. Through an open bedroom door she surveyed the adorably bed headed girl, who was bright eyed and buried underneath covers. "Good, you're awake." She continued, smiling at her friend. "Get out."

After a beat, Ty Lee's brow furrowed in confusion. "What?"

She sat up so Azula could see the nightgown she was wearing; it was the one Ty Lee's parents had gotten them matching ones of all those years ago.  
  
_"It's inappropriate for a princess to be seen matching with a simple noble girl, but pajama's dont count!"_ They had exclaimed happily.  
  
What was it with that family and matching sets?  
  
Azula couldn't believe Ty Lee's still fit her. Granted, it fit her differently, especially in the chest area - but it fit her all the same.

"Mai's already gone" was the only response Ty Lee got to her question, and Azula was already turning her back to her and placing the scrolls on the desk. Ty Lee couldn't help but admire her long, black hair. It was loose, free to cascade down her back, and she didn't get to see it like that often.  
  
"Do we still have the day off?" Ty Lee asked.  
  
Azula sighed and spoke in her measured, wicked tone. "Yes, Ty Lee. I just need you guys to get out so I can figure out how to best imitate the Kyoshi Fangirls, therefore infiltrating the Earth Kingdom's Palace and and bringing Ba Sing Se to it's demise, in _peace_."  
  
Ty Lee smiled to herself, hearing Azula get more and more into her little speech as it progressed.

She gracefully slipped out of bed and padded towards Azula, who was sitting in the desk chair now and had opened her first scroll. When she was just behind her she spoke, hoping to make her jump again, "So you're not even taking the day off too?"

Azula must have been able to hear her coming because all she did was glance over her shoulder at her, her eyes flicking over her nightgown-she remembered it!- and say "ugh, get dressed".

* * *

Half an hour and 3 scrolls later, Azula was interrupted again. Ty Lee exited her bedroom in her new Kyoshi Warrior clothes, and her long brown hair was now in her usual thick braid down her back. She was messing with her side bangs, which was something Azula noticed both Mai and Ty Lee did a lot.

Poor, insecure girls.

"I'm ready for the day!" Ty Lee said. "Let's go have fun."  
  
Azula snorted exasperatedly, really frustrated with her for the first time that morning, and turned sharply in her chair to face her. " _Ty Lee_ ," she hissed impatiently, "there will be plenty of time for fun _after_ the Fire Nation wins the war."  
  
Unaffected, Ty Lee shrugged and sat on the couch in front of her, "True, but you don't need to win this war all by yourself. You're only 14, you know."  
  
The statement struck Azula, and her expression became incredeous for a moment before she realized that it shouldn't even have been as odd a thing to say as it was.  
  
"Well, apparently i'm the only one who's capable," she grumbled, turning back around.  
  
Again, Ty Lee took a beat before speaking, making Azula wondered what was going through her mind in those pauses. "Ok, well what do we need to know about the Kyoshi Warriors? We already have the costumes!" she finally said

 _We_. It didn't seem like Ty Lee was going anywhere.

"You're right, Ty Lee. And speaking of appearances, we need to figure out how to do their makeup" she replied absently, focusing on the scroll on just that.

In a flash, Ty Lee bound over and grabbed the scroll off the desk, before Azula had a chance to stop her.

She'd always marvelled at that girl's agility.

"Oooh, goody!" Ty Lee squealed, looking over the images of Avatar Kyoshi's makeup, completely ignoring the text on the scroll.  
  
Azula reacted the same way she always did when Ty Lee got excited like that; she cringed, but smiled a little bit too. "Ty Lee-" she started, but Ty Lee stopped her. Now she had the same look on her face that she always had when she was about to let her down easy.  
  
Azula may be the best liar Ty Lee knew and the most composed and collected opponent in combat, but she wasn't too hard to read to someone who knew her well.

"No, Azula. Really." she urged. "I'm really good with this stuff, I had to do all kinds of wacky makeup in the circus! I bet I could figure this out in seconds, easy peasy."  
  
Azula exhaled. "Really? that would actually be really great, if you wouldn't mind. You can do that while I keep looking at these scrolls."  
  
But Ty Lee just grinned mischievously and channeled her best Azula voice. "Oh, sweet little Azula," she cooed. "We're playing my game now, and we'll be playing by my rules."

Azula rolled her eyes at the impression, but a few minutes later Ty Lee was painting Azula's face white and trying to convince her to go out for the day.

* * *

 By the time Azula had washed off the makeup Ty Lee had done with such accuracy, she was already being ushered by Ty Lee out onto the streets of Ba Sing Se. She couldn't believe that Ty Lee had actually managed to get her out of the house.  
  
It was just that Ty Lee had persuaded her so calmly, telling her how she should get to know the city aswell and that they could study the Kyoshi Warriors together afterwards. Her voice was steady and reassuring, but it was her efforts with the makeup that made Azula allow herself to even consider it, even if she didn't want to admit it.

The way she softly swept the makeup brushes across her face was so different from her usual bubbly personality, and when she leaned in close to fix some delicate feature on Azula's eye, the two girls were nose to nose.  
  
Azula's breath had caught.

Ty Lee had a concentrated look in her eye, and the way Azula felt that she had to hold her breath was how she imagined other's felt when Ty Lee easily blocked their chi, holding their gaze with a teasing smile the whole time.

Or maybe that's not how they felt at all. Maybe they felt more panicked than strangely calm.

Azula felt foolish feeling like that, and decided it was just because she was impressed with the makeup.

* * *

The street bustled with life, with all kinds of earth kingdom citizens in varying shades of brown and green, from young adults to the elderly. In her stolen Kyoshi Warrior outfit with her hair in a half up bun, Azula studied the crowd. They all wore humble peasant clothes and had places to be.

"You know," she told Ty Lee, "they may be nothing but dirty peasants, but there's a certain degree of respect I have to hold for them. They can't spend their days shopping for finer clothes, but they provide themselves with food and roof over their head, all because of the hard work they do during the day."  
  
Surpised, Ty Lee peered at Azula curiously, and she seemed to realize what she had said " A low degree-" she started, looking away shyly and quickly starting to correct herself, her words rushed. Ty Lee cut her off.  
  
"Azula, you're right," she said carefully, but with a hint of happiness and pride in her voice. "I didn't know you thought like that."  
  
Azula relaxed and looked at her pointedly, squaring her shoulders. "I can recognize that people deserve what they work for" she replied.

This made sense to Ty Lee. Even though Azula was naturally a prodigy, she had still always been hard working and determined, resaulting in a meticulously successful girl. 

"Although ofcourse that doesn't mean that any of them deserve anything close to what _I_ was rightfully born with- and by that i mean more than just royalty.'

Where they were going would be perfect for her.

"But what in agni's name are we doing here, in the middle ring?" she went on to ask accusingly  
  
"You'll see," Ty Lee grinned, and Azula huffed.

She didn't know how to feel about being lead around the city by Ty Lee- it was so usually the other way around. She didn't usually like not being in control, and even now she could feel her desires grasping to put herself in the leader position again. She wanted to hijack the little day trip, give Ty Lee an official order to follow her or even shut the whole thing down entirely.

Instead she used Ty Lee's enthusiasm and her own anticipation of where they could be going to squash the urges down.

* * *

"We're here, your highness!" Ty Lee sang when they reached their apparent destination. Azula cocked her head, confused. They were just on what seemed to be a beggar's street corner;There was a rugged man sitting next to a dish of money with his eyes closed, his legs hidden under a ratty blanket. Disgusted, Azula angrily began to whisper this to Ty Lee, but she was only ignored.

Ty Lee stepped towards the man and asked. "Excuse me, sir, but what are we gambling today?"  
  
The man slowly opened unkind eyes and narrowed them at Ty Lee, which was perhaps meant to be intimidating. It might even have chilled a child to the bone, but Ty Lee just smiled at him. 

"Why, everything you have, little girl." he drawled, producing 3 dishes and a Pai Sho game from under the blanket. "what will it be, Shells or old Trent's Pai Sho?"

As Azula watched Ty Lee play Trent's Shells game, it dawned on her. He was a scam artist, and would no doubt cheat Ty Lee out of her game. But Ty Lee knew that; she was leaving Pai Sho, which Trent would have his own nonsense rules and loopholes for to Azula.

A slow, sly smile spread accros Azula's lips. She was going to beat this man at his own game.

He would never even be a player.

Ty Lee had met the guy when travelling with the circus, and herself and every one of her fellow acrobatics had lost great deals of money to him - but he was no match for Azula.

With her competitive nature and knack for tactics, Ty Lee knew that even his sneaky, odd stacking rules wouldn't faze her. A slip of the hand wouldn't go unnoticed either.

Azula was the prettiest, most perfect girl ever! She would completely annihilate him. 

Ty Lee watched Azula happily play the man, that evil- no, _driven_ \- spark in her eye. She was glad she had brought her here. She was doing what she was best at and enjoying herself, but _without_ tormenting anyone.  
  
Before Ty Lee knew it Azula had won the game, plus all of Ty Lee's money back and half of the man's coin dish. Ty Lee considered asking Azula if they could just let the man keep the money he'd already had, but he was already growing angry.  
  
"You-you cheated! _Cheater_!" he blubbered, angrily grabbing Azula's wrist when she purposefully took her winnings. Even after Azula stared him down and shot a blast of blue fire precisely at his hand, he still persisted, lunging and screaming about how it was his game, _his_.  
  
Ty Lee's eyes darted between the two nervously, and without even thinking she grabbed Azula's hand and fled. Her feet were light againsted the concrete and she felt the weight of Azula's hand in hers. She stopped running as quickly as she had started, so neither of the girls were even near out of breath.

They both knew that Azula could have taken him, and that she _never_  let someone get away with something like that, but if she cared she didn't show it. Instead, she simply pulled her hand away and lightly said, "that was fun."

* * *

After Azula's Pai Sho game she was in a good, carefree mood. She surprised Ty Lee by asking where they would be headed next. "Oh, I didn't think you'd want to stay out this long..." Ty Lee had said, and so Azula let her wander the city, looking for something of interest to her.

Azula didn't even complain when Ty Lee did cartwheels and flips in the middle of the street, or tell her to lower her voice when her chatter started to get a bit loud, although the passing pedestrians seemed to mind.

When Ty Lee noticed monkeys dancing in the middle of the street and ran over to join the forming crowd, already clapping her hands, Azula followed at a safe distance and patiently waited. She entertained herself by looking around at the shops, and her eye caught on one particular shop.

It was a quaint little clothing shop, more fun looking than how she imagined the one recommended to them by Joo Dee. What really interested her was that in the window was the only bit of pink she had seen since they'd arrived in the City, in the form of a cute little dress. It was like the dress, and the shop in general, was made for Ty Lee.

Azula got Ty Lee's attention and gestured to the dress in the window. "Oh, Azula!" Ty Lee cried happily. "It's my favourite colour."

"I know, silly," Azula laughed. "Do you want to go in?"

Ty Lee just ran in, grabbing Azula's hand. It seemed like she thought she could just do that now, since she'd done it once. Azula didn't mind, and she hung on to Ty Lee's delicate, warm hand firmly.

* * *

_To Be Continued..._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	2. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula has her first kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I finally finished this and you don't know how much I wish I put the dress part in the first chapter but anyway, enjoy!

Ty Lee exited the dressing room in the shop and Azula gasped, hopefully not as audibly as she thought. She had thought it was a cute dress before, but now that she saw it on Ty Lee she saw how gorgeous it really was.

The chiffon dress was all just one shade of pink, and the top was form fitting and had a peter pan collar, the short sleeves more loose. It cinched at the waist and then fell into the folds of the skirt, stopping just above the knees. It wasn't really the dress that was remarkable, just the way it hugged her curves and the skirt and sleeves hung effortlessly. And with those big, brown eyes and the light brown hair, her cheeks pink and smile wide -

Azula had always thought that she herself was the most beautiful girl in all the nations, but now she could see that she had stiff competition.

"Ty Lee, you look lovely," she told her sincerely, although it was in an awkward, authoritative voice.

Ty Lee smiled her thanks."I do like it," she replied with a shrug, "Maybe I'll come back later and get it"

"What? No!" Azula said, cringing at how harsh and impatient it sounded. Ty Lee's head snapped towards her, concerned, and Azula schooled her voice. "I mean, don't be ridiculous. Just get it now, with the money from the scammer."

* * *

Ty Lee's head was swimming excitedly on the way back to the Palace, her thoughts all over the place.

Azula had bought her the dress.

Yes, she was royalty, and it didn't leave a dent in her wallet at all -hell, it didn't even leave a dent in _Ty Lee's_ former run away circus freak income wallet. 

But Azula didn't just do nice things, and she had bought her the dress. She had _insisted_ on her buying that dress.

For herself, Ty Lee knew. She had known ever since Azula had first added her to her team. She cared for her as fiercely as a friend - a _best_ friend - should. But she admitted that she also liked her a little differently than that. She didn't by any means feel the same way the Avatar so clearly felt about the Water Tribe girl. She wasn't hopelessly head over heels in _love_ with her. But with the way Azula's determination and constant ass kicking awed her, and how deeply she truly did care about her... Ty Lee wouldn't mind being more than just friends with her, to put it simply.

The whole time, Ty Lee had known all of that. She knew that admiring her black hair, doing her makeup, and even teasing her with the impression, weren't all for naught. What she had never known, was how Azula felt. She'd never dared to believe that she could possibly feel the same way. She'd accepted it, grateful for their friendship, long ago. She didn't want to mess anything up or put Azula in that position. Besides, it was fun to keep her eye on that Water Tribe boy. Even if Mai disagreed, Ty Lee knew that was just because she'd never stopped liking Zuko; the boomerang guy may have been on the wrong side, but he was _cute!_  

But that didn't matter now.  
  
Azula had always seemed to have a soft spot for Ty Lee. And she had thought she could feel Azula holding her breath while she was doing her makeup.

The flick of Azula's eyes over her nightgown, telling her her thoughts on the people of Ba Sing Se.

And then being shy.

Running from the fight with her, seeing the shop and thinking of her, telling her she looked lovely.

Ty Lee had dismissed every one of these and a million more little things. She had come up with excuses, reasons for them to not mean anything: It wasn't special or out of the normal. She was just in a good mood, finally having a day of fun in too long. Ty Lee had imagined it.

But now Ty Lee gave them a second thought. She cautiously considered that they could be anything more. She dared to believe it.

_She had bought her the dress._

Ty Lee didn't know why, but this seemed to be the last straw on the camel's back to her. Not Azula patiently watching her frolic along the streets of Ba Sing Se, or even holding her hand.

It was the fact that, on top of everything, she had bought her the dress.

Excitement seemed to whir all around Ty Lee, although she was the only one to notice it, and her heart drummed as she came to her resolve. She told herself she was being silly. This was great! It was so exciting. And if it was a mistake, it wasn't that big a deal, right? Neither of the girls aura's had ever been pinker. 

Ty Lee grabbed Azula's hand and pulled her behind a fruit cart. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach, and her heart did the same in her chest. With her hand still in hers she turned to face Azula, and heat crawled in to her cheeks, making them flush pink. Before she could think, she gave Azula that wide, happy smile; met her eyes with those big, optimistic eyes. And then she closed the distance between them. She found her lips with hers, closing her eyes.

She was kissing princess Azula.

* * *

Azula's eye popped wide open in shock, and she almost jumped back from the kiss. A million emotions bubbled up inside her, and she stood there dumbfounded for a second.

But then she reluctantly allowed herself to push most of those emotions down.

Feeling Ty Lee wavering, Azula closed her eyes and melted in to the kiss, exhaling. The tension left her body as Ty Lee's arms wrapped around her neck, Azula's circling just above Ty Lee's waist. She lay her hands flat on her back, one higher than the other, and the two girls pressed together.

For just one moment, she couldn't deny anything anymore.That she hadn't really been just looking at Ty Lee's nightgown, that she was taken by much more than the makeup. That Ty Lee's hand in hers was the only thing that made it so the fact that she had ran like a coward didn't matter. That she had enjoyed confiding in her about the people of Ba Sing Se, watching her on the street with her light perkiness, and seeing how happy she'd made her with the dress.

That she was grateful that Ty Lee had gotten her out to have fun for the day.

Ty Lee thought she could feel the air change around them, notice how time slowed, and hear the birds singing louder, even though everything also became faded and far away - everything other than Azula and Ty Lee's blooming heart. She thought the kiss was like nothing she'd ever known before.

Azula would think she was being dramatic, but agreed with her more or less.

It was a good kiss.  

Until her moment was up, and it wasn't. 

* * *

It had all came rushing back and now Azula couldn't even describe how she was feeling. Her stomach had tightened and she felt like there was something in her throat suffocating her and she just felt so uncomfortable and all _wrong_. She felt almost-guilty, maybe? She was stressed and confused and she didn't even know why she was confused, she just knew that she didn't know anything at all, and it was all so frustrating.

Of course she didn't convey any of this at all and instead glared at Ty Lee. Because, what was she _doing_ , surprising Azula like that? Changing everything and making her doubt herself and distracting her, especially at such an important time?

"Ty Lee!" she cried angrily, desperately grasping for words. "How could you-how _dare_ you- this is unacceptable! We're in the middle of a _war!_ "

Ty Lee flinched, but tried placing a comforting hand on Azula's shoulder. "A war that we're _winning_ ," she said, as perky as ever.

That wasn't the right thing to say.

Azula reeled back on her, throwing her hand off her shoulder. "A war that _i'm_ winning," she snapped, immediately discrediting everything Ty Lee had done for her, as well as all the soldiers that fought- and fell- in the war everyday. "and that I need to keep winning."

Ty Lee gulped and spoke, "Look, Azula. I know you've never- I know that you don't really know what it's like to _care_ so much, but..." she had dropped her cheery voice and replaced it with a more meaningful tone, full of compassion and sympathy.

_Sympathy._

Azula hated that. And it wasn't just in her voice but also etched into her face, swimming in her eyes. Her blood boiled. Ty Lee had no idea what she was talking about! What did she have to feel bad for her about? She had plenty to care about, she wasn't _Mai_. She had a war to win, a father to please, and bending forms to perfect.

Azula scoffed. "I don't know what it's like to _care!_ " She screamed her defense. " _Of course_  I know how to care! Perfection, Ty Lee. That's what it is. I care about being _perfect_ , like everyone expects me to be. Which means I pretty much care about everything I do! Don't tell me that I don't know what it's like to care. Do you know what it's like to practice the same lightning form over and over again for hours, even though you're already a prodigy at it, just because it's _one hair out of place?_ Because you need it to be perfect or it's not good enough for everything you have to accomplish!?"

The words hung in the air for only a moment before, against everything either of the girls had ever known, Ty Lee was screaming back at her, throwing all caution to the wind.

Of course _she knew what that was like, she was an acrobat._

 _What she meant was she didn't know how to care about_ people _, have real relationships._

 _She was_ sorry _for trying to get Azula to let go and have fun and for kissing her because she_ liked _her, for Agni's sake._

When she was done, Azula didn't even hesitate a moment before speaking, her voice low now. "You want to know why you seem to think i'm so incapable of love?"

She stared Ty Lee dead in the eye.

"Because I _am_." she spat, "because no one ever gave it to me." 

The harsh words sucked all the air right out of the cool night. 

Ty Lee never broke eye contact, her gaze sad and sympathetic but also angry, a fierceness in her eyes that Azula had never seen.

" _I_ have, Azula. And I am right now. I guess you can't recognize it either."

The faux Kyoshi Warriors stared at each other intensely, neither one backing down.   

Azula couldn't believe she's had broken down like that. She was perfect, a prodigy, extraordinary. She yelled at people all the time- she threatened to kill contradictory crew members and scolded servents who didn't do her hair right- but she _never_ broke down. That just wasn't allowed, for someone like her. All of her bites were always clever, calculated. Never messy, never raw. _Agni_ , she wasn't Zuko. That was even worse than being Mai.

And yet here she was, cracked wide open in front of Ty Lee. How had she done that to her? She also couldn't believe that Ty Lee had stood up to her, fought back.

Ty Lee couldn't believe it either, but honestly, Azula needed it. Who had ever been brave enough, or straight with her enough, to scream at her like that? Not even her mother, Ty Lee guessed. But Ty Lee had had enough. Yes, Azula had used fear to get Ty Lee to join her team, but now Ty Lee was realizing that Azula needed her just as much as much as Ty Lee needed Azula. And not just to temporarily paralyze people. 

Ty Lee cared about Azula, and she couldn't let her live in this delusion that she didn't need anything real with anyone, anymore.

She waited, not letting herself be the one to give in. Both girls were breathing heavy. With cool air swirling around them, pricking their skin, the minutes ticked by. 

Finally Azula glanced down, looking furious at herself.

"Let's just go," she mumbled.

* * *

Neither girl spoke or looked at each other as they marched back to the palace. They were both taking a stand, proving a point to one another, but were also both entirely lost in their own thoughts.

Azula was simply calming herself down, yet another skill that she had and Zuko didn't. She was slowly coming to a realization; as good as she had always been at placing the blame on anyone but herself, she had hated doing that to Ty Lee. Which wasn't Ty Lee's fault, just like how Azula's turbulent emotions weren't her fault. Of course they weren't, that made no sense - It just wasn't smart.

Even though Ty Lee had said some pretty harsh things, Azula had actually liked being talked to like that. Like a human, instead of a prodigy - even if she wasn't ready to actually put any thought into what Ty Lee had said, or even what she herself had said. Besides, she had been emotional and stupid. She would never forgive herself for that, for being so vulnerable.

But she would forgive Ty Lee.

Even still, she kept looking straight ahead with pursed lips. She couldn't stand apologies, and would keep her dignity at least until they got back to the palace.

Ty Lee, on the other hand, just felt plain stupid. She would've loved to still feel as fed up and angry as she looked, but she had never been the kind of person who could stay like that for long. Now all she could think about was how stupid she had been. _If it was a mistake, it wasn't a big deal, right?_ What had she been thinking? of course it was! It didn't matter how good the kiss was. In one instant, she'd ruined her whole friendship with Azula, and she had been so mean to her- although everything she'd said was true- and she'd probably never talk to her again not out of pettiness and anger but of embarrassment (and she didn't even embarrass easily) which would make everything awkward in their little team and ruin the whole mission, causing the Fire Nation to lose the war and-

Her thoughts were coming so fast, she couldn't stop them. But there was one thing she knew for sure; It had simply been wishful thinking to think that Azula liked her like that.

Her feelings were unrequited.

* * *

When they got back to the palace, both girls were surprised to see that Mai was still gone, but Azula just smiled and placed her hands on her hips.

"Well, she really did get out of my hair like I told her to. What a good girl."

It was almost like the fight had never happened, like moments ago Azula hadn't been blinded by anger, almost in a crazed state - but it _had_ happened, and the tension was still there no matter how Azula tried to push past it and ignore it. Ty Lee headed straight for her room, still embarrassed and ashamed.

Azula cursed inwardly, knowing it was now or never. She took a deep breath and spoke, trying to make her voice soft, "Ty Lee, wait."

Ty Lee paused, but warily.

Suddenly Azula didn't know what to do, so she started to walk in the opposite direction as Ty Lee. Ending up in the washroom she peered at herself in the mirror, taking note of Ty Lee standing in the living room a few feet behind her. She checked her makeup, fussed with her hair just like Mai and Ty Lee both did.

And then she made her voice casual and light, almost sing-songy but just as intellectual as always, "Look, Ty Lee. It seems I had some pent up emotions that I let out one you-" she chuckled at herself, "how embarrassing. Anyway, I guess I just really wanted to say that i'm- I apologize."

She sighed, and then made eye contact with her in the mirror, "really, Ty Lee."

Ty Lee's brow had furrowed. She was shocked- had Azula just apologized? She had already looked away and was now taking her makeup off, but just like that everything Ty Lee was feeling melted away. Maybe she _had_ been right all along.

"You know, Azula," she said, making her way towards her, "I'm really good with hair, too. If you wanted me to braid it or something, when your done with your makeup,"

Azula crinkled her nose. _Well that sounded kind of stupid._ "Why?" She asked.

Ty Lee reached Azula and ran her hand through her long, soft hair, "Just for fun, Azula,"

Azula sighed. It sounded kind of stupid, but also harmless, and _nice._ Wiping the last bit of her makeup off, she nodded.

"Yay!" Ty Lee cried. She grabbed Azula's hand and led her into the living room. Azula sat with her legs crossed in front of Ty Lee, who was sitting with her feet tucked under her bum. 

"Thank you for today, Ty Lee," Azula said as Ty Lee softly took out her hair out and started braiding it.

"Thank  _you,_ Azula!" Ty Lee replied.

Azula was just working up the nerve to turn around and return Ty Lee's kiss from earlier-just a quick one, a peck- when Mai came banging through the door and the two girls jumped apart. Heart beating a million miles per second, Azula absentmindedly found the Kyoshi Warrior scrolls she had planned on studying today and asked Mai what she had gotten up to. she wasn't really listening, though- Mai could have told her that she'd hooked up with her treacherous brother and all she would've gotten in response was a "that's nice". 

 For the rest of the evening Azula and Ty Lee were both in their own, happy little bubbles, and Azula imagined this was what Ty Lee's world was like. Neither girl knew when or if something like today would happen again, but they were both just happy it had happened. Ty Lee had _really_ gotten through to Azula! Someone had finally taken her seriously, and she couldn't be more proud. As for Azula, the sense of relief she felt at _finally_ having someone she could really completely, and whole-heartedly trust was overwhelming.

Once Azula had finished reading over her scrolls and Ty Lee had finished with her 6 step skin care routine, both girls went to sleep that night smiling.

* * *

_The End_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
